Blacked Out
by XanderMathias
Summary: After a terrible accident, leaving Mathias with an irreversible change, can Lukas and the other Nordics help Mathias feel happy again despite his current state?
1. The Accident

It had all started with an accident in a bar. A band was playing, cables and amps scattered everywhere. Electrical faults, alcohol and drunken people certainly didn't mix however. No one was expecting there to be massive bright sparks of electrical fires. As the fire spread, many people ran out in a mass panic, not caring for anything but their well-being. Unfortunately, because of this panic, Mathias was carelessly knocked to the ground. Already dazed by the light and the several drinks he had had that night, he found it harder to get back up, leading to his head being hit several times by the feet of escaping customers. He laid there, barely conscious, in amidst the blazing bar.

News of the fire spread quickly, reaching Lukas and the other Nordics soon. Knowing Mathias must be in danger, Lukas and Berwald made their way there as fast as possible. Floods of people stopped them from getting in for a while. Berwald kept asking everyone about Mathias, describing him as a tall, muscular man with blonde, wild hair and a red dress shirt and black tie. No one had seen him. Fed up with all the waiting, Lukas decided to take things into his own hands and charged inside the burning building, ignoring the warnings from various people.

Inside was clouded with smoke. It was hard to see. It was hard to breathe. Covering his eyes as best he could, Lukas continued. "Mathias? Mathias, if you can hear me, make some noise." He called out, hoping it would help him navigate his way through. After a few moments of dreaded silence, there was a shout, almost a wail for help followed by coughing.

Mathias was trying to crawl his way out with what little strength he had left. "Lukas! Help! Please!-" He violently coughed. His head hurt and was bleeding, his throat was raspy and burned and everything for him was so dark and blurred. Footsteps could barely be heard by him. Holding his shoulder, someone said, "Mathias, you had us worried. Come on, we need you out of here!"

Lukas helped a weak Mathias to his feet. "Close your eyes, it's smoky, as you can see." They began walking, or in Mathias' case, staggering, to the door. It was a pain for both of them but they managed to make it out, Berwald and an ambulance waiting on the other side. As soon as they made it out, Mathias dropped to the floor, coughing again. Lukas crouched next to him, his eyes watering and burning from the smoke. "Mathias. Mathias, sit up. We're out, there's no more smoke. You can open your eyes." Mathias opened his eyes.

And saw darkness.

Lukas and Emil visited the hospital with a bouquet of daisies, red clovers and forget-me-nots for Mathias. It had only been yesterday night that he had been caught up in a terrible fire at a bar. His head had been bleeding and he was hardly able to walk straight without almost toppling over. Both brothers kept their composure but they were worried sick on the inside, internally screaming with the fear that something awful might've happened.

They were directed to Mathias' ward and were met with a small, private room when they arrived. The white walls and grey, linoleum floor were almost sparkling. Next to an open window on the far side of the room was Mathias, sitting up in the clean, white hospital bed. A cup of freshly made coffee and empty vase was perched on a pastel blue bedside table. Emil filled the vase with their bouquet while Lukas sat on the edge of the bed and took Mathias' hands into his own. In response, Mathias turned his head sharply, staring blankly at Lukas. "Hello?" He asked.

"Hello Mathias." Lukas responded. "You had us all worried. Tino was on the verge of tears. You shouldn't drink so much; maybe you would've gotten out in time." He sighed "Anyway, Emil and I have brought you some flowers, your favourites."

"Thank you. I bet they're lovely."

"They are. Take a look if you can be bothered." Said Emil, annoyed that he didn't admire their gift.

Mathias fell deathly silent, frowning almost. "Uh, about that..." He went quiet, as if trying to think of how to say something. Just then, the door opened, a nurse walking inside. Lukas and Emil turned to look at her, Mathias still staring blankly at the back of Lukas' head. "I see you have company Mr. Køhler. Friends?" Mathias nodded. "Well, I'm sure they're just as upset as you are about this."

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Emil had a confused expression as well.

"He hasn't told you?" The nurse looked Lukas dead in the eye. "While in the bar, he suffered trauma to the head. This has damaged both occipital lobes, meaning he's... well..."

"Blind..." muttered Emil. Lukas' and Emil's hearts skipped a beat. They looked at each other simultaneously, both with panic in their eyes. The nurse continued. "He will also suffer long-term headaches, dizziness and poor balances. These could last from somewhere between a few days or forever. I'm sorry. I'll leave you three be." She left quietly.

Silence drowned them all for a long time. Eventually, Lukas broke it by asking, "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why didn't you tell us when I pulled you out of there?"


	2. Coming Home

After a couple of hours, Mathias was discharged from the hospital. He was instructed to rest as much as possible when he got home. Lukas held Mathias' arm, helping him to his car and into the front passenger seat. Emil sat in the back while his brother got into the driver's seat. They drove home in silence.

When they arrived home, Lukas and Emil got out straight away. Mathias was still sat in the car, staring blankly ahead of him. "Mathias?" Emil knocked on the windshield. "You can get out now." Opening the door for him, Emil watched Mathias stumble out. The three of them walked to the door and were immediately met with Tino and Berwald.

"Mathias!" Tino ran up to him and hugged him, Berwald close behind with a concerned face. "You honestly are the stupidest person I know! Are you ok?!" asked Tino. Lukas and Emil looked at each other. "Well? Are you, Mathias?"

"If being alive is alright, then definitely." Mathias joked. Tino looked at him, smiling gratefully. However, Mathias couldn't see the joy and relief on the faces of his friends. "Uh, although..." He started, nervous to tell Berwald and Tino. "Something did happen and... Well..."

"He's got cortical blindness." Emil decided to break the news for Mathias. Once again, there was an awkward silence. Tino was obviously shocked. Berwald was as well. Scratching the back of his head, Mathias tried to think of a way to break the silence. He couldn't think of anything.

Lukas held Mathias' hand. "He needs to rest. I'll take him upstairs." He took Mathias away from the group, helping him up the stairs. They went to Mathias' bedroom. Mathias had a frown on his face. "Mathias. Get that off your face."

"What? What's on my face?"

"A frown."

Sighing, Mathias laid down on his bed. "I bet Berwald and Tino were so happy until they found out. To know that because of me, they're sad, it's just..." He rubbed his head. "Do we have any paracetamol? I have a headache."

"I'll see what we've got." Lukas left, going to the kitchen to look in the medicine cupboard. After a while of rummaging around, he found a dented paracetamol box. Before he went back upstairs, he heard Tino, Berwald and Emil talking in the other room.

"So, it's not forever?" asked Berwald.

"It depends, they didn't really say. If he hit it hard enough, it could be permanent but-". Emil was interrupted by the sound of sniffling. Tino, most likely, Lukas thought. He decided not to interfere and went back to Mathias' room.

Mathias was asleep as Lukas walked in. Not wanting to wake him up, he left the small box on his bedside table and left. He closed the door slowly and quietly. Lukas sighed.

Going back downstairs, Lukas could hear that Emil was still explaining to Tino and Berwald about what had happened. "No, no, he's not going to die Tino. He'll be alright." Lukas walked into the room, catching the three's attention. "Lukas, he's ok, isn't he?" asked Emil.

"Yeah, he's asleep right now. He has a headache but I guess that's par for the course now."

Tino rubbed his eyes. They were slightly red and puffy. Deciding to calm him down, Berwald said he would take him out for a little while. The two left, Emil and Lukas sat next to each other awkwardly. "So, what did they ask?" questioned Lukas. "You seemed to be talking for a while."

"Just whether he would be in hospital a lot and other things apart from the blindness he would go through."

"You seem to know a lot. I didn't know it was called 'cortical blindness' or that it could be temporary or... permanent. How do you know so much?"

"Uh, long story..."

"We have all day."

A clear ding came from Emil's pocket. He looked at the screen. "Except we don't, Leon and my friends want to hang out." Standing up quickly, he pulled his shoes on. Emil looked back at Lukas. "It's not important anyway, forget about it. I just know about it." He left, closing the door. Lukas leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa.

"I don't think knowing a lot about something so specific is something I can just forget, Emil." Sighed Lukas.


End file.
